Mahershala Ali’s Light Continues to Shine on GQ Cover

All the Muslim hate couldn’t stop the love Ali is receiving from his GQ cover! The Oscar-winning actor met with photographers for a vibrant summer photo shoot filled with tropical print clothes and playful poses. He also gave an exclusive on his long, hard-earned journey to success. Ali wasn’t always the outstanding actor who we now see on silver screen. He actually didn’t discover his acting skills until he put the basketball down and ended his athletic career at Saint Mary’s University. The Oakland native began taking several acting classes at the N.Y.U. graduate theater program, but initially lacked confidence. However, It was Kenneth Washington, a professor and the artistic director of Guthrie Theater, who gets credit for breaking Ali out of his shell, birthing such a bright and talented star.

Unfortunately, not everyone has always seen Mahershala’s light. As a black man and Muslim in America, Ali faces many challenges like being racially profiled by police despite being an Oscar winner. He opened up to GQ about the incident and others like being placed on a terrorist watch list after 9/11 because of his full name, Mahershalalhashbaz. It’s not an Islamic name but actually, Hebrew. Nevertheless, Ali uses the prejudices as momentum to make him a better actor. He told GQ that his own racial and religious struggles allow him to empathize with his characters and “humbly” play the roles. With Muslim hate crimes becoming more frequent like the 17-year-old girl being murdered leaving a mosque in Virginia, empathizing isn’t enough for Ali. He has also uses his platform to emphasize the message of love in an attempt to heal the country. “I don’t know if it’ll happen in my lifetime, but in time the pendulum will swing in the right direction.”